


The Eve

by Deadlihood



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, Improper Creation of Latte Art, Light Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, group chats, i guess?, lil bit of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 14:57:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12460143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deadlihood/pseuds/Deadlihood
Summary: Baekhyun talks Minseok into hiring his friend to work at his coffee shop.





	The Eve

There could only be one person who came in right as they opened The Eve at seven am sharp. Minseok didn’t even look at the person who had set off the windchimes over the door, just immediately inputted the order. Luhan was already pouring fresh coffee into one of their green to-go cups, following it with two pumps of vanilla and a heavy dose of steamed milk.

“I love you guys,” Yixing said, collapsing dramatically on the counter. “You’re what keeps me going.”

“We love you too, Xing.” Minseok petted his head affectionately. “Besides, I don’t want to be indirectly responsible for some kid drowning.”

“None of them will drown. They’re a swim team for a reason.” Yixing peeled himself off the counter to accept his coffee from Luhan, taking a big glug of it. “Have you guys found another cashier yet?”

“We’re supposed to go over applications today. We needed a new one, like, yesterday.” Luhan said. “Minnie and I are running ragged up here and Jongdae has to keep coming up from the kitchen to man the other register.”

“Um…” Yixing rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. “I’m supposed to ask you guys something.”

“That means it’s from Baekhyun. Don’t we already spoil him enough?” Minseok loved Yixing’s boyfriend, he really did, but he had all of them wrapped around his long fingers. He couldn’t remember the last time Baekhyun had actually paid for a pastry or a cup of coffee.

“I would have told him no if I didn’t think it was a good idea.” Yixing pulled his jacket tighter around himself. “He’s got a friend, Chanyeol, who’s some kind of musical prodigy, but something happened with his financial aid and he needs to get a job fast to hold up his end of the rent. Baekhyun wanted me to ask if you guys would consider hiring him.”

“I hope Baek knows we can’t just hire him sight unseen.” Minseok had a business to run, after all. He wasn’t going to take on some grungy skater kid with a garage band.

“Well, I was supposed to see if you guys were open to the idea, and then Baekhyun was going to come in with Chanyeol in a couple hours.” Yixing shrugged. “I’ve done my duty now. If you say no, that’s your choice as business owners. But I have met Chanyeol. He’s a sweet kid and he does need the money.”

Luhan glanced at Minseok expectantly; the older man rolled his eyes. “Fine. Have Baekhyun bring his friend in. We’ll talk to him.”

At 10 am sharp, Baekhyun paraded into the café in a Smiths t-shirt and the tightest pair of pants Minseok had ever seen on a human. He was honestly surprised they didn’t split when Baekhyun walked. He practically skipped up to the register, a smile already brightening his face.

“Have I mentioned how truly lovely you are, Minseok?” Baekhyun asked, cupping Minseok’s cheeks in his hands. If it had been anyone other than Baekhyun, Minseok would have bitten him.

“I agreed to interview your friend, not to hire him. Where is he, anyway? Yixing said you would be bringing him.” Minseok batted his hands away.

“Yeol will be here in a few minutes, he had to stop to pick up a book from the library.” Baekhyun waved at Jongdae through the gap to the kitchen. “I really appreciate you guys giving him a shot. He’s a great guy.”

“Why are you acting like we’re going to date him?” Luhan poked his head around the coffee machines. “If he’s one of your friends, chances are he’s a twink and I don’t think Minnie or Dae are into that.” Minseok hit him with a dishtowel.

“Professionalism.” Minseok hissed at him. Baekhyun didn’t seem too bothered, just sweet-talked Luhan into making him a drink. By the time Luhan was done drawing a heart with a dick in it in the latte foam, the mysterious Chanyeol had appeared. Honestly, he had expected someone skinny, pale, and dorky, just based on the very small portrait Baekhyun and Yixing had painted for him.

Chanyeol was over six feet tall, broad shouldered, and good-looking. Then Minseok looked at his hair, and wondered if Baekhyun had done that to him. It was cotton-candy fluffy, dyed pale pink and blue. He brushed his bangs out of his eyes, spotted Baekhyun, and shyly approached. At his size, it looked like a giraffe trying to sneak up on something.

“Well, at least we can make him get things off the top shelves.” Luhan muttered, taking him in. Minseok made a soft noise of assent before putting his business owner face on.

“Chanyeol, this is Minseok, and Luhan. They own The Eve. The third owner is in the back right now.” Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol slightly in front of him. “Chanyeol is a music major.”

“At the university?” Minseok asked.

“Yeah. Baekhyun and I live together.” Chanyeol brushed his hand through his hair; Minseok wondered if it was a nervous tic.

“Yixing and Baekhyun have told us some of your situation. Your financial aid took a hit?” Minseok didn’t like discussing this out in the open but he couldn’t leave Luhan alone to do this.

“My financial aid package got cut suddenly and the university expects me to make up the difference.” Chanyeol shrugged helplessly. “Now I need a job on top of everything else.”

Maybe it was the soft puppy eyes, or his friends asking him to hire him, but Minseok was willing to hire him. “Have you ever used a cash register?”

“No, but I can learn.”

“Chanyeol picks things up really fast. He’s an absolute wizard.” Baekhyun butted in.

“Baek, could you go see if Junmyeon has any new books for us?” Luhan gave him a narrow-eyed look that told Baekhyun to do as he was instructed, and he scurried away as fast as his pants would allow.

“We’ve got some customers coming in, but write down your availability for me and I’ll work out a schedule for you, all right?” Minseok said. Chanyeol’s face lit up like Minseok had just handed him the sun.

“Thank you so much! I’ll go do it right now.” He practically tripped over himself getting to the table Baekhyun had abandoned and started scribbling down his hours.

Minseok hoped that he hadn’t just doomed his business.

\--

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Luhan chanted, skidding through the kitchen to get to the bar. “I stayed over at Junmyeon’s last night and his car wouldn’t start this morning.”

“His car wouldn’t start or you got fucked in the back of the car?” Jongdae asked with a knowing smirk. Luhan smacked him in the back of the head.

“Fuck off.” Luhan started wiping down his machines, getting them ready for the day. He wouldn’t have long before Yixing showed up for his morning coffee and the rest of their early customers started crowding in. “Where’s Min?”

“He’s in the office getting Chanyeol’s work shit squared away. He was here before I even was so he could start setting up for the day.”

“Do you think he goes home, or he just sleeps upside down in the office like a bat?” Luhan yelped when he felt the sting of a rag snapping against his skin.

“You know exactly what my sleeping habits are like.” Minseok gave him a meaningful look. “Now, can we maintain professionalism for five minutes while I walk Chanyeol through using the cash register?”

Baekhyun had been right that Chanyeol picked things up very quickly. It didn’t hurt that the register was electronic and all Chanyeol had to do was select the right options. He was idly flicking through the option screens to see what they were when Yixing came in.

“Hey, Chanyeol!” Yixing said as he ambled in. “Good to see you working here.”

“Thanks. What can I get for you?” Chanyeol listened to Yixing’s order and plugged it in right, but looked at a loss when Yixing handed him a bill. “Um. Minseok, how do I do a cash transaction?”

“You just hit the button that says cash, it’ll open the drawer.” Minseok said from where he was turning on the second machine next to Luhan. He heard a loud “oof” and looked over to see Chanyeol doubled over, holding his stomach.

“Register just gutted you, didn’t it?” Luhan shook his head. “Happens to all of us. You’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Chanyeol wheezed out, counting Yixing’s change before handing it over. “Your drink will be out soon.”

By the time the morning rush had died down, Minseok had lost count of how many times Chanyeol had hurt himself. He was much taller than any of them and kept slamming his knees into the shelves behind the counter. He’d learned to avoid the cash register hitting him in the stomach, but he still managed to smash his fingers while closing the drawer almost every time.

“As long as he doesn’t try to collect worker’s comp, he’s not that bad.” Luhan murmured, handing over the pot of freshly steamed milk so Minseok could pour it into one of the waiting cups. Minseok vastly preferred working with Luhan on the coffee line than he did working the register. He faintly wondered if they had enough money in the budget to hire a second cashier so Minseok wouldn’t have to leave Luhan alone. The Chinese man might have been a wizard with coffee, but he wasn’t an octopus.

At noon, Chanyeol’s shift ended and Minseok showed him how to clock out, then took the time to point out where the first aid kit was. Chanyeol mumbled a thank you before grabbing his backpack and escaping the shop.

Junmyeon arrived with lunch for the three of them, picked up from their usual place down the street. He and Luhan had finally learned not to kiss graphically while Luhan was working, even though every time they had the college kids sitting around had cheered and clapped.

“Is Soo watching the shop?” Minseok asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Yeah, it’s pretty slow over there. He’ll text me if he needs me to come back.” Junmyeon shrugged. “How’s work been?”

“We’re breaking in a new cashier.” Luhan stabbed at a tomato with his fork. “One of Baekhyun’s friends.”

Junmyeon furrowed his eyebrows. “The tall twinky one?”

“Luhan already works here.” Minseok ducked when Luhan threw a rag at him. “What? Even Jun thought you were a girl at first.” Junmyeon’s ears turned red. Minseok and Jongdae would never let him live that down; Junmyeon had first approached Luhan under the impression that he was a woman and asked to buy _her_ a drink. Luhan drank the whole thing before informing Junmyeon that he was, in fact, a man. Junmyeon had been horrified at first, before telling Luhan that wasn’t a deal breaker.

“I don’t know which one you mean, but the one that’s working here is Chanyeol. Tall, big ears?” Luhan shrugged when Junmyeon shook his head. “We’d never seen him before either. He’s competent.”

“I don’t like the way you say that.”

“He’s competent, but I have a feeling he’ll end up breaking his neck by tripping over his own feet.” Minseok explained. “Kid’s a mess, but he can press the buttons and he doesn’t whine.”

“You didn’t happen to hire him yesterday, did you?” Junmyeon asked.

“Yeah, why?” Luhan finished his salad and promptly moved to graze off Minseok’s fries.

“Baekhyun came barreling into the bookshop saying you’d sent him to get more books, but he only took two before he ran back out. I was wondering what had gotten into him other than, you know, Xing.” Junmyeon snickered at his own joke.

“We sent him out so he wouldn’t keep trying to sell Chanyeol like a mail-order bride.” Luhan held up a green to-go cup, a silent question.

“Decaf, babe.” Junmyeon reminded him.

“Has that been helping with your nerves?” Minseok asked as he cleaned up his mess from lunch.

“It’s been a lot better since I switched. I thought it was honeymoon jitters for the longest time but it wasn’t Lu making my heart bounce around like that.” Junmyeon took his latte and promptly slurped the foam off the top, erasing Luhan’s foam art of a butt. Minseok had spent his time learning to do leaves and intricate flowers, while Luhan had taught himself to draw obscene sketches in foam. It was an art, really. Minseok didn’t mind when he did that with their friends, but it had gotten a little touchy when Luhan had accidentally mixed up the cups and given a professor a cappuccino with a pair of boobs drawn in the foam. Minseok was surprised she hadn’t vaulted the counter to beat his ass herself.

The after-lunch rush started and Junmyeon headed back to the bookstore, and Minseok took up his post at the cash register. Jongdae ran in and out to assist between moving batches of baked goods around. Minseok was _definitely_ going to have to look into hiring a second cashier. He’d never intended to spend all his time learning how to make coffee and run a business only to end up running a cash register. And Jongdae, who he’d snatched right out of baking school, didn’t deserve to be spending his time running back and forth from the kitchen.

Although, if he thought about it, they were more likely to earn more in tips if he made Luhan take orders. When he wasn’t mostly hidden from view by the coffee machines, girls would sit and stare at him for ages. There was a reason Junmyeon had thought he was a woman; Lu was so pretty it was almost unfair. Minseok sometimes felt like the token average looking guy when he was around Luhan and Jongdae. Both of them got phone numbers thrown at them left and right, and he’d heard one guy offer to do something that he was sure was pretty much physically impossible to Jongdae.

By eight pm, Minseok had determined that they did have the funds for a second cashier and dove back into the applications to find a good candidate. Jongdae had finished baking long before and he and Luhan were joking around in the front, occasionally serving some tired student that needed a snack and another caffeine hit before going back to studying.

Minseok stopped at one application, tapping his pen against it. Why did that name sound familiar?

_kms: Does Baek have a friend named Sehun?_

_XingXing: Yeah that tall blond kid that’s always with him why?_

_kms: Baek must have thrown all his friends at us, Sehun applied for the job_

_XingXing: Do you need another cashier?_

_kms: We can afford it and I don’t want to be working the register anymore._

_XingXing: fair warning Sehun is gay as sin and thinks ur HOT_

_kms: Baek give the phone back to your boyfriend_

_XingXing: ur no fun. fine._

As much as Minseok didn’t want his coffee shop to be overrun by Baekhyun’s friends, Sehun was certainly qualified for the job. He’d worked in food service before, including a big coffee chain. Minseok set his application aside with the other “maybes” and shoved them into his bag. He’d think about this later, or maybe tomorrow when he felt like he had the energy to do it.

At nine, when they closed, the students still sitting around pissed and moaned about having to find a new place to study. Minseok was no stranger to this and he usually sent Luhan to deal with it. Minseok was pretty sure that Luhan could murder someone and the customers wouldn’t care.

“So, we’re keeping Chanyeol?” Jongdae asked as he started wiping down the tables.

“I think so. He seems like a good kid, if a little clumsy.” Minseok shrugged. “I’m going to go through the applications and find another cashier to hire. We’ve got the money for it, we may as well make life easier for all of us.”

“And maybe one of us could take a day off every once and a while.” Luhan’s tone only stung a little, but Minseok was so tired of this argument.

“Not all of us have money like Junmyeon where we can afford to have a manager, assistant manager, and three cashiers.” Minseok snapped back. “You want a day off, go work for him.”

“Min.” Jongdae sighed. “That’s not fair and you know it.”

“It’s not fair to be the one in charge of keeping this place afloat and be badgered about how small our staff is. This is what we all signed up for, remember? We knew we were starting from the ground up and that we’d be working round the clock.” Minseok pinched his nose between his fingers. “I’m sorry Lu. I’m tired and I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“And I shouldn’t needle you either.” Luhan wrapped him up in a hug. “I knew what I was doing when I paid my third.”

“Well, if we can get the next cashier set up soon, maybe we’ll be able to rotate days off. And once the semester gets into full swing, we’ll be seeing more business again and we can think about additional hires.” Minseok shook Luhan off and returned to cleaning up. It was nearing 10:30 when they all split up to head for their separate apartments. Minseok was bone tired and he just wanted to eat his dinner, shower, and go to sleep.

But he was a work-a-holic, and he looked over the applications again while his food reheated. Sehun was qualified, definitely, and Minseok shouldn’t have been prejudiced against him because he was Baekhyun’s friend, but he sorted him out of the group of potential hires. If Sehun really did think Minseok was hot, that was not a good work environment. Minseok held the greatest stake in The Eve, and it was up to him to keep things up to working standards, from hygiene to inter-employee relations.

By the time he was out of the shower, he had decided on one Kang Seulgi, a freshman at the university who had similar qualifications to Sehun. As long as she didn’t have some kind of horrid attraction to Luhan, she’d be perfect. He tapped out a very brief email to her on his phone as he got ready for bed, then put his phone on do not disturb and turned on the white noise machine. It was time to get some sleep, because tomorrow he had to be Mr. Kim, the boss, all over again.

\--

Seulgi turned out to not be interested in Luhan at all, but spent a lot of time staring over the register at a dark-haired girl near the window. Minseok hid his giggles in the obscenely strong espresso he’d made himself during one of their lulls. Having two cashiers had definitely helped, and Seulgi was absolutely capable of handling herself when customers got snippy or there was a rush.

Chanyeol was still having trouble not smashing some part of his body into various parts of the coffee shop. Minseok had watched him hit his face on the window not ten minutes before. Luhan had sent him in the back with an ice pack to take a break.

“What’s his deal, do you think?” Luhan asked, leaning against the counter. “Like, is he actually that accident prone?”

“Well look at the size of him. He’s taller than you, with longer limbs. He’s like a puppy, he doesn’t have full control of his body yet.” Minseok drained his cup and shoved it into the dishwasher. “He’ll get his bearings. I hope.”

“At least we only have him on the register.”

“God, that would be a fire hazard.” Both of their phones buzzed at the same time, signaling their group chat starting up again. Luhan let Minseok check while he took care of the customer who had just come in.

_XingXing: Baekhyun aced his midterm today and he wants to go out for drinks. Everybody free tmrw?_

_Junmyeon the Wise: It was a lit midterm of course he aced it_

_Baekhyunnie: eat my ass junmyeon_

_Ksoo: Im free as long as we don’t go to that college bar again_

_Junmyeon the Wise: Baek you’re a vet student. Lit is your elective, of course you can ace it_

_XingXing: Lounge bar?_

_kms: Do none of you work?_

_kms: But yeah Lu Dae and I are all free_

_Baekhyunnie: u guys r my real friends not like junmyeon_

_Baekhyunnie: im bringing chanyeol btw_

_kms: That’s fine Baek_

_Junmyeon the Wise: I’ll finally get to meet the human disaster?_

_LuLuLemon: JUNMYEON_

_Baekhyunnie: I can’t evn argue w/ that_

_Baekhyunnie: he fell out of bed this morning_

_Baekhyunnie: but plz be nice hes trying_

“Am I allowed to come out now?” Chanyeol said, poking his head out from around the corner. The redness in his face had gone done, and instead he had the weave of the towel that Luhan had wrapped the icepack in imprinted on his face.

“Are you dizzy at all?” Minseok turned his phone on silent so he could ignore the group chat.

“No, I’m fine.” Chanyeol looked defeated. “Did I leave a big mark on the window?”

“I took care of it, don’t worry.” Minseok did feel bad for him; it wasn’t his fault he was a huge klutz.

At least, that’s what he told himself until Chanyeol was pulling down a big sack of coffee beans down from the high shelf for Luhan and hit Minseok square in the forehead with it. He yelped, hit the wall, and went down like a ton of bricks.

“Oh my God! Oh my God, Minseok are you okay?” Chanyeol dropped the sack uncomfortably close to Minseok’s foot, bending to check on him.

“I’m fine.” Minseok lied, wishing the room would stop spinning. Luhan and Jongdae both appeared to check on the commotion; Luhan laughed, Jongdae just grimaced.

“I’ve got him, don’t worry.” Jongdae shooed the other two out of the back room, leaving him to help Minseok off the floor and onto a box full of coffee stirrers. “You all right Min?”

“ _Ow_.” Minseok probed the back of his head, the part that hurt the most. Hitting the wall had done more damage than the coffee bean sack.

“I’ll get some ice.” Jongdae disappeared, returning moments later with an ice pack wrapped in a towel. “I’ve been keeping more ice since we hired Chanyeol. Guess it was a good idea.”

“Small miracles.” Minseok set the ice on the back of his head, resting his forehead on Jongdae’s knees. “It was probably my fault, I’m below his sight line.”

“I think you make him nervous, honestly.”

“How?”

“Minseok.” Jongdae sighed in exasperation. “We hired a gay dude’s best friend to work in a café with three gay dudes. Did you ever think he’s so klutzy because he thinks you’re cute?”

Minseok was silent for a moment. “You’ve been watching too much _Ancient Aliens_ again, haven’t you?”

“It’s not a conspiracy theory, Min. You’re a good-looking guy and you’re always standing two feet away when he hurts himself.”

“I think you’re wrong. Baek said he fell out of bed this morning.”

“Yeah, I saw that in the group chat. But I do think he’s flustered around you. He doesn’t even look at Seulgi.”

“Because Seulgi is looking at that biochemistry girl that sits by the window.”

“Minor details.” Jongdae patted Minseok’s shoulders. “Do you think you can move now?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Chanyeol apologized profusely to Minseok when he came back outside, and in the process, hit himself in the face. Minseok was watching now to see how Chanyeol acted around him and how he acted around Luhan, and he hated to admit that Jongdae was right. Chanyeol did seem more nervous around him, but that could have been because Minseok ran The Eve. He was, in essence, the boss, designated by Luhan and Jongdae when they started the café. It was perfectly reasonable for an already klutzy guy to be nervous around his boss.

\--

Minseok was in his office, glasses perched on the end of his nose, when he heard the doorknob jiggle. He picked up his phone and tiptoed to his office door, peeking out the crack. It was obvious he was in here, with the light spilling out into the hallway. There was a huge shape by the door, large enough that Minseok backed up and picked up the baseball bat that Jongdae had insisted on keeping in the office.

Minseok flicked on the light for the main room just as the front door unlocked and he heard the jingle of keys. The person pushed their hood off their head, revealing a battered and bruised Chanyeol. Minseok immediately dropped the baseball bat and tried to stifle the yelp when it landed on his foot.

“What happened to you?” Minseok asked, hurrying Chanyeol into a chair before going for the first aid kit.

“Why are you here so late?” Chanyeol’s voice sounded thick, probably something to do with the swelling in his cheek.

“I was going over the books for the café. Did you get in a fight?” He gave Chanyeol an ice pack for his face before starting out on his hands. His knuckles were bloodied, his palms scraped and filled with grit.

“Dude was harassing my friend. I got a little protective.” Chanyeol hissed through his teeth when Minseok started pulling the grit out. “Unfortunately, he was a lot bigger than me.”

“He must have been fucking massive then.” Minseok muttered, moving on to the next hand. This was his way, to be methodical and calm in the face of crisis. Luhan tended to be cold, and Jongdae usually cried. It was an interesting spectrum of reactions that they made. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“My ribs hurt but I think they’re just bruised.” Chanyeol spat out a mouthful of blood into a napkin. “And my mouth tastes terrible.”

“You stay here.” Minseok threw away the mess of alcohol wipes and bandage wrappers before firing up one of the machines. Chanyeol was still huddled in his chair and the jacket that looked three sizes too big on him. He was quick with his work and brought the mug over to Chanyeol.

“What is it? It smells good.” Chanyeol said, sniffing the surface.

“It’s lavender tea. It’ll help calm your nerves.” Minseok said, wiping a bit of blood from Chanyeol’s face.

“Cool.” He even took a picture of the sun that Minseok had drawn in the milk foam.

When Minseok went back to his office to finish the entry he’d been working on, Chanyeol drifted after him like an over-large shadow. He stayed curled in the chair in the corner with his tea while Minseok kept typing away, double checking receipts against the careful ledger that Jongdae kept of his baking supplies.

By the time Minseok was done, he was sure that Chanyeol had fallen asleep. But as soon as he stood up, Chanyeol opened his eyes.

“Do you want a ride home?” Minseok asked as he shrugged on his jacket.

“That’d be great.” Chanyeol followed him to the parking lot and had to slide the passenger seat all the way back to fit his legs in comfortably. It was a quiet ride, broken up only by Chanyeol’s soft directions to the apartment he shared with Baekhyun. “And here we are.”

Minseok put the car in park, looking over at Chanyeol. For a long, tense moment, Chanyeol held his gaze, and Minseok felt something bloom in the pit of his stomach.

“You should get some rest.” Minseok blurted before it could get too much bigger.

“Yeah. Thanks for the ride, and for the patch up.” Chanyeol collected himself and opened the car door.

“Any time.” Minseok waited in the parking lot as he watched Chanyeol haul himself up the stairs painfully and open his apartment doors. Then he drove home, violently stamping out any illusions he may have had.

\--

Minseok’s head injury was long forgotten by the next night when he went to the bar with the others, but Luhan was still mocking him for it. Junmyeon finally clapped his hand over Luhan’s mouth, muffling the sound.

“Baekhyun is coming over, he probably brought Chanyeol. Now hush.” Junmyeon warned. Luhan glared at him and licked his hand. Junmyeon looked unfazed. “I have had worse than your spit on me. Relax.”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re disgusting?” Jongdae was on his third beer and leaning lazily against Kyungsoo, who looked similarly grossed out. He was often forced to break Luhan and Junmyeon apart at the bookstore, especially when older people were around. One day he’d found them in the back room and had been so scarred by whatever he’d seen that he had immediately left the bookstore and gone to The Eve to recover.

“We’re aware.” Luhan stuck his tongue out at Jongdae. “But I also have a boyfriend and you’re cuddling Soo, so who’s winning here?”

“I am. Kyungsoo is ripped and he doesn’t talk about bodily fluids in public.” Jongdae snuggled closer to Kyungsoo just as Baekhyun, Yixing, and someone that Minseok vaguely recognized came up to the table.

“Chanyeol buried himself in work, so I brought Sehun instead because he’s a good friend.” Baekhyun sat down dramatically at the booth, immediately reaching for Minseok’s whiskey. The older man slid it away from him with a glare.

“This isn’t The Eve, you don’t get to steal my drinks.” Minseok grumbled.

“Besides, Chanyeol tried to kill him yesterday. You should be buying Min drinks.” Luhan couldn’t help himself sometimes when it came to being annoying. Minseok wanted to hit him.

“What do you mean he tried to kill you?” Baekhyun’s usual drama queen exterior melted away, revealing the true, caring nature beneath. He tried not to show it to anyone outside their group or the animals that he helped take care of.

“He hit me in the head with a sack of coffee beans and knocked me over.” Minseok put on a pitiful face. “You should see the lump on the back of my head.”

“Poor Minnie.” Baekhyun leaned over to talk to Sehun, who was eyeing Minseok with obvious interest. Minseok finished his whiskey and fell into conversation with Yixing about the swim team he coached and the upcoming meet, about Seulgi and her unrequited love. Baekhyun broke in and informed them that the biochemistry girl’s name was Joohyun and she hated him.

“I like her already.” Jongdae’s cackle shook the whole booth. Luhan and Junmyeon got up to dance, leaving a little more room on the seats.

“Min, let me buy you a drink.” Baekhyun was stronger than he looked and nearly dragged Minseok out. He still used Minseok as a battering ram to get through to the bar, where he ordered a beer for himself and a whiskey neat.

“Thanks, Baek.” Minseok said, taking a sip of his whiskey.

“You know, Sehun is _really_ interested in you.” Baekhyun gestured with his eyebrows toward the booth, where Sehun’s blond hair was shining in the purple lighting. “And since I know it’s been like, eons, since you got laid-”

“My sex life isn’t your business.” Minseok warned.

“No, but you’re my friend and Sehun wants you tap that, so if you’re interested, he’s open to it.” Baekhyun shrugged. “Think about it. I’m going to go do something disgusting to Yixing and see if I can make Jongdae ill.”

As he walked away, Minseok marveled over the fact that he and Baekhyun were actually friends. The vet student was the same age as Jongdae, and yet he acted like a thirteen-year-old boy sometimes. He absently wondered what Baekhyun and Yixing’s relationship looked like in private as he sipped his whiskey. The pleasant burn in his throat distracted him from Baekhyun’s point; it had been a long time since he’d been with anyone. Luhan was dating Junmyeon, Yixing was dating Baekhyun, Jongdae and Kyungsoo both went on regular dates with people. Minseok had always taken his job as The Eve’s manager a little too seriously. But Luhan and Jongdae had sunk money into the café too. It was his responsibility to keep them all from losing their savings and going belly up.

“You’re thinking so hard I could hear it all the way across the bar.” Sehun’s voice startled Minseok a little and he nearly choked on the whiskey. “I’m Sehun.”

“I know.” Minseok cleared his throat. “I mean, we’ve met before. I’m Minseok.”

“I _know_.” Sehun nearly purred. Minseok felt a little like a mouse caught in a cat’s paws.

“Did Baekhyun send you over here?” He didn’t want to beat around the bush.

“No. I came over out of my own free will.” Sehun leaned against the bar, looking Minseok over. “If you’re worried about my age—”

“Well now I am.” Minseok took a sip of his drink. “But if you’re here, you must at least be of age.” Why was he flirting? This was a bad idea. He shouldn’t be flirting with Baekhyun’s friends.

Sehun’s posture softened and some of that self-assuredness went with it. Minseok preferred it; it made him look his age and less like a predator. “Why don’t you buy me a beer and we’ll get to know each other?”

One beer turned into two, and Baekhyun was making faces at them across the bar, and then he was kissing Sehun in the back of a cab. By the time Minseok was pressing Sehun into his mattress, he’d completely forgotten about work in the morning or any responsibility he might have had. He had thought at first this might be some kind of quick fuck, but he found himself taking his time, making Sehun moan and wiggle around his fingers.

“God, don’t be such a fucking tease.” Sehun whimpered as Minseok dragged his fingers back out. “Just fuck me already.”

“Patience.” Minseok murmured, leaning down to kiss him. Then he propped Sehun’s ass up on his lap and fucked him into a limp mess.

“Whiskey dick really has the opposite meaning with you, doesn’t it?” Sehun groaned out when they were done and Minseok was starting to mop him up.

“Let’s just say I was a little pent up.” Minseok’s head was filled with the pleasant buzz of having had a _good_ orgasm, not just a quick jerk in the shower but a good, long fuck that made his fingers tingle.

“Happy to have helped. I’m staying the night.”

“I figured as much. Make yourself at home.” Minseok cleaned himself up in the bathroom and inspected the scratches on his back. They weren’t too deep but they definitely stung. He yanked on a t-shirt and a fresh pair of boxers and found pajama pants for Sehun. He fell asleep contented.

In the morning, Minseok got himself dressed and ready for work before leaning over Sehun and shaking him awake gently.

“Mm? Wha’s the matter?” Sehun asked, cracking one eye open.

“I have to go to work. You’re welcome to stay if you want but I figured it would be rude just to bail.” Minseok said. Sehun yawned and sat up.

“Nah, I’ll head home. Thanks for offering, though.” He collected his clothes and tossed the pants he’d borrowed into Minseok’s hamper. He was halfway out the door when he paused. “Oh, Minseok?”

“Yeah?” Minseok poked his head around the corner.

“I don’t want anything more than this. Don’t worry about me showing up and making a scene or anything. One-time thing, but believe me, I will _cherish_ these memories.” The way he said that made Minseok blush, which seemed to be the point. He winked and shut the door behind him.

\--

_Thunder Boy: GUYS_

_Thunder Boy: MINSEOK WAS LATE FOR WORK TODAY_

_Thunder Boy: MINSEOK GOT LAAAAAAAID_

_LuLuLemon: You should see his back, holy shit_

_LuLuLemon: It looks like he got attacked by a cat_

_kms: I actually want to kms rn_

_kms: why am I friends with any of you assholes_

_Baekhyunnie: bc i got u laid_

_Baekhyunnie: u owe me_

_Thunder Boy: baek we have literally nvr charged you for coffee or pastries_

_Thunder Boy: U owe US_

_Junmyeon the Wise: I was wondering why you left without saying goodbye_

_kms: Mostly so Baek wouldn’t harass me_

_kms: but I guess that ship has sailed_

_Baekhyunnie: did it sail like sehun on that d?_

_Baekhyunnie: tht was bad_

_kms: I’m turning my phone off go away_

Turning his phone off kept Baekhyun and the others off his back, but Luhan and Jongdae were still there to tease him. Luhan kept yanking the back of his shirt up to look at the scratches Sehun had left behind until Minseok chased him into the back with a whisk.

“Did you guys have a good night?” Chanyeol asked when he came in for his shift.

“Minseok had a _great_ night—” Luhan started, cut off only by Minseok hitting him in the stomach. “Ow! Don’t hit your coworkers.”

“Then don’t talk about your coworkers’ sex lives.” Minseok hissed back. But the damage was already done. Chanyeol’s face had closed off and he turned back to look at his cash register with the intensity of someone performing brain surgery.

It only got worse when Sehun came in and gave Minseok a very suggestive look that made him turn beet red. Minseok wanted to crawl under the counter and die. Chanyeol smashed his hand in the cash drawer at least five times after Sehun left, and didn’t say goodbye to anyone when his shift was over.

\--

Minseok felt like the scum of the earth. The past two weeks had been nearly unbearable. Chanyeol barely spoke during his shifts, unless it was to Seulgi, and he never looked at Minseok. It had become very obvious that Chanyeol had a crush on him and that sleeping with Sehun had been a mistake.

It was especially a mistake now that Minseok realized how much he missed talking to Chanyeol when they were working, and how much he missed his big goofy grin. If it was a bad idea for a worker to have a crush on their manager, it was an even Worse Idea for a manager to have a crush on their employee. Especially when said manager had already accidentally broken said employee’s heart.

_kms: Baekhyun I cannot believe you didn’t tell me that Chanyeol liked me. That was vital fucking information_

_Baekhyunnie: r we talking about the same chanyeol_

_Baekhyunnie: tall, big ears, goofy as shit?_

_kms: Yes, Baekhyun, the same Chanyeol that I hired on YOUR recommendation and the same Chanyeol whose heart I broke when I slept with Sehun on YOUR recommendation_

_Baekhyunnie: I didn’t exactly force u to fuck sehun_

_kms: BAEKHYUN_

_Baekhyunnie: and i didnt kno he liked u he nvr said anything abt it_

_Baekhyunnie: i would nvr have thrown sehun at u if i had_

_Baekhyunnie: is this y hes been so weird lately_

_kms: you mean you didn’t ask him why he was being so distant?_

_Baekhyunnie: i thought he was just bein emo_

_Baekhyunnie: and throwing himself into his music_

_Baekhyunnie: fuck im a terrible friend_

_Baekhyunnie: ill talk to him tonight_

_kms: please do, im worried about him_

_Baekhyunnie: min do u lyk chanyeol_

_kms: why do you have to type like a 13 y/o scene kid_

_Baekhyunnie: do u lyk chanyeol_

_Baekhyunnie: MINSEOK_

_Baekhyunnie: ANSWER ME_

Thankfully for Minseok, he didn’t have to look at his phone anymore because a customer had come in and Luhan had gone out to lunch with Junmyeon. Unfortunately for Minseok, that meant that Chanyeol had no choice but to give him the order.

“Double shot of espresso, extra hot.” Chanyeol mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Minseok and immediately turning back to his register. Minseok felt lower than low, like the scum of scum, like he had gone so low he had actually gone through the earth’s core and was coming back out the other side.

Three things happened in quick succession: Minseok started to walk the espresso cup over to the delivery area; Baekhyun burst into the coffee shop; and Chanyeol took a step back. Those three things culminated in extra hot espresso pouring all over Chanyeol’s bare arm. Chanyeol yelped and jumped away, clutching his arm. Baekhyun came running up to the counter, babbling at Chanyeol to let him see the burn while Chanyeol was steadily crying.

“Baekhyun, shut the fuck up!” Minseok ordered. There was an audible click when Baekhyun’s mouth shut. “I’m going to take Chanyeol to the urgent care. You call Luhan and get him to come back. Then stay and help Jongdae until he gets here. Good?” Baekhyun just nodded. “All right, Yeol, let’s go.” He wrapped a damp towel around Chanyeol’s arm and practically stuffed him into his car. He had to push the passenger seat all the way back to get him to fit properly.

“We’re going to get this taken care of, don’t worry Chanyeol.” Minseok was starting to babble himself as he broke several traffic laws and only remembered to buckle his seatbelt when the car started beeping at him insistently. “I’m so sorry, I should have been more careful with the espresso.”

“Not your fault.” Chanyeol sniffled.

“It was, and I’m going to fix it. They’re going to take good care of you and I’ll make sure they don’t bill you for this. It was a workplace injury after all.”

“Are you trying to cover your ass?” Chanyeol’s voice had turned cold and hard, and Minseok didn’t like it at all.

“No. I’m trying to take care of someone I care about who probably has a second degree burn that was my fault.” He went careening into the parking lot and barely parked properly before hopping out to get Chanyeol out. “All right, let’s go.”

Minseok did as much of the paperwork as he could, mostly because Chanyeol was breathing in and out harshly through his nose. He could only imagine how much that burn hurt. A nurse pulled Chanyeol back to take his vitals and look at the burn, leaving Minseok to quietly ask for the workman’s compensation forms. He had started filling them out when he saw Chanyeol plodding down the hall after a nurse. He went to follow only to be stopped by the locked door.

“I need to go with him.” Minseok said, pointing after him. “I promised I’d stay with him.” The nurse didn’t look that impressed. “Please? He got hurt at work and I need to stay with him.” She finally unlocked the door and Minseok took off after him, skidding into the exam room with him. The nurse he’d come in with had Chanyeol standing at the sink, running cool water over the burn. Minseok had been right about it being a second degree burn and he felt even worse.

Minseok sat down and filled out the workman’s compensation form while Chanyeol kept his arm under the water. If it wasn’t for the way his body shook, Minseok might not have thought that he was injured. Minseok got up and dragged the chair he was sitting in across the room, startling Chanyeol with the noise. But he sank appreciatively into the seat, his long arm still reaching the stream of water.

A doctor came in and cleaned up the burn and gave Chanyeol painkillers and antibiotics and a bunch of things that Minseok barely recognized. He left the workman’s compensation forms with the front desk, figuring the insurance would catch it before he had to really do anything with it. Not that his brain could function at the moment. Chanyeol looked like a wounded animal and Minseok didn’t think he could live with himself if he had to look at that expression for a moment longer.

“I’m so, so sorry Yeol.” Minseok said when they got back into his car.

“It was an accident.” Chanyeol said dully.  

“I’m not talking about the burn.” In his peripheral vision, Minseok could see Chanyeol curl farther in on himself. “I made a mistake and I want to make it right.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Minseok wasn’t sure if Chanyeol wanted him to admit it out loud, or if he was trying to avoid the subject. “I’m sure Baekhyun told you that he hooked me up with his friend.”

“With _Sehun_.” The way that Chanyeol said it made Minseok’s heart hurt worse.

“Yes, with Sehun. Because I was lonely, and I wouldn’t let myself even think about going after what I really wanted.”

“You mean—?”

“I wanted you, Chanyeol. But we work together and I thought that would be a horrible idea and I’m not a good boyfriend and I didn’t want to end up disappointing you.”

“Why do you think you would disappoint me?”

“Because I inevitably do.” Minseok dragged his hand through his hair. “I work too much and I care too much and I’m just _too much_.”

There was a beat of silence. “Someone fucked you up pretty badly, didn’t they?”

Minseok laughed hollowly. “Is it that obvious?”

“When you know what to look for.” Chanyeol shifted in his seat. “I don’t think you’re too much. I think you’re just enough.”

“You might regret saying that.”

“If I do, that’ll be my regret, not yours.”

Minseok pulled into the parking lot of Chanyeol’s apartment, killed the engine. “Honestly, this is probably some kind of ethical violation or a worker’s rights violation or—” Chanyeol cut him off by leaning over and kissing him. Minseok tried not to moan into his mouth but it felt so _right_ to kiss him, especially after so many days of Chanyeol not even looking at him.

“Fuck the rules, Minseok. You like me, I like you. We should date.” Chanyeol tipped Minseok’s face up just a little, making him look him in the eyes. “Please don’t tell me no.”

“I should.”

“Don’t.”

“I don’t want to.” Minseok brushed his lips over Chanyeol’s again. “I want you to go upstairs and get some rest, and don’t come to work for a few days.”

“That sounds like you saying no, Minseok.”

“I have your phone number, and I do actually know how to text message.” Minseok smiled weakly. “I’ll talk to you later, but you should rest.”

“Fine, fine.” Chanyeol kissed him one last time before he went upstairs. And this time when he drove away, Minseok forced himself to let that hope and affection bloom inside him.

Seulgi and Luhan were behind the counter when he got back to the coffee shop. Luhan grabbed him by the collar, pulling him in close with a mean look in his eyes.

“If you _ever_ leave Baekhyun working here again, I swear I will buy your ass out and then kill you.” He hissed. “Do you know how annoying that little shit is?”

“I gave Chanyeol a second degree burn with espresso, Lu. I kind of had to leave.” Minseok shook loose. “Besides, Jongdae was here too, he couldn’t have been here that long.”

“He wasn’t. Luhan’s being dramatic.” Seulgi said from her spot at the register. Luhan stuck his tongue out at her.

“Also, Chanyeol’s fine, in case you were worried about our employee.” Minseok called over his shoulder on the way to the office. He was sure Chanyeol was already working himself up about what Minseok had said and he needed to get his phone number quickly. Luhan was still ranting about Baekhyun to Seulgi, who was ignoring him and watching Joohyun, when Minseok came back to the front.

_kms: I hope you’re resting your arm_

It had been a while since Minseok had had to flirt with anyone and he didn’t think nagging at Chanyeol was a good way to go about it. He fixed himself a latte while he waited for a response, even though the caffeine would probably just elevate his already-high heart rate.

_iCYou: you weren’t kidding about not being too old to text_

_iCYou: yeah im just on the couch waiting for some takeout_

_iCYou: and for bh to stop whining at me_

_kms: what is he whining about now?_

_iCYou: mostly that I didn’t tell him I liked you_

_iCYou: hes trying to whine apologetically too and failing_

_kms: at least hes trying to apologize to you_

_kms: most of the time he just ignores what he did with us_

_iCYou: I think Yixing is trying to get him to apologize for stuff_

_iCYou: like when I come out of my room and Baek is butt ass naked in the living room getting plowed_

_kms: and you live like that??_

_iCYou: if I could afford rent on my own I would have thrown him out long ago_

_kms: I need to pay you more_

_iCYou: then you should pay Seulgi more too_

_iCYou: weren’t you worried about showing favoritism towards me?_

_kms: I’m going to show favoritism no matter what._

Minseok nearly threw his phone in the dishwasher. He hated outright declarations like that. They were too risky, especially with the day they’d had.

_iCYou: let me take you on a date_

Apparently, riskiness could pay off. Minseok spent the rest of the day grinning like an idiot.

\--

“I don’t normally do this,” Minseok said as he let Chanyeol into his apartment. “I mean, not that I don’t let people I’m dating see where I live but—”

“Min, relax.” Chanyeol shut the door behind them, the white of his bandage flashing in the light. “Take a breath. I’m not freaked out by the idea of being here.” He paused, looking around. “It _is_ a little freaky how clean it is here though.”

“I live alone, and I like things to be tidy.” Minseok shrugged, tossing his jacket in his room. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Maybe we should have some tea.” Chanyeol hadn’t asked Baekhyun or Yixing what had happened in Minseok’s love life, but it must have been bad if his hands were shaking that much and he was so nervous. He’d been fine at the restaurant, cracking jokes and listening to Chanyeol’s stories about his music classes. But as soon as he’d suggested coming back to his apartment, he’d unraveled. Chanyeol was surprised they hadn’t crashed on the way there.

“Tea. Tea is good.” Minseok scuttled into his kitchen and set the kettle on to boil. Chanyeol stayed carefully on the other side of the island to give Minseok space to move and breathe.

“Do you want to hear some of my music?” Minseok had mentioned it at the restaurant; maybe it would help take his mind off whatever was bothering him.

“Yeah, there’s some speakers over there.” Chanyeol opted for a ballad style song he’d just finished. Minseok listened intently, his eyes closed as he leaned on the island. Chanyeol watched his fingers tapping out the rhythm on the marble countertop. He blinked when the music ended, as if he was waking up from some kind of trance. “That was really good, Yeol.”

“Thanks. That one didn’t want to come out right but I finally got it.” Chanyeol watched the line of Minseok’s shoulders as he turned to pour the hot water into two mugs.

“Who is the other person singing on the track?” He asked when he came back with a handful of tea bags and the mugs.

“I didn’t even think you’d be able to hear him. That’s Baekhyun, he got so tired of listening to me record it that he came and sang in the background.” Chanyeol picked a lemon and ginger tea bag for himself, figuring he ingested enough caffeine working at The Eve.

“I guess he is useful for some things.” Minseok’s tea smelled like old women’s perfume.

“What is that?” Chanyeol wrinkled up his nose.

“Rose and white tea.”

“It smells like my grandmother.”

Minseok reached over and flicked Chanyeol’s earlobe. “Have some respect for your elders.”

They drifted towards the living room, where Chanyeol pulled Minseok’s legs into his lap. His tea forgotten, he started rubbing Minseok’s calves, breaking up the knots in his muscles. Minseok held his legs stiffly at first, but relaxed and let Chanyeol work eventually. He seemed to grow calmer as Chanyeol moved up towards his knees. Chanyeol made a mental note to thank Baekhyun for making him take that massage therapy class with him the previous semester. He glanced up at Minseok, looking for permission to move onto the more intimate territory of his thighs. His lip was caught between his teeth, and he hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Chanyeol shifted Minseok’s legs so that his knees were draped across his lap before starting soft circles at the inside of his thigh, just above the knee. Even through the denim of his pants, Minseok could feel every brush of his fingertips. It was too much sensation, and yet calming.

_Chanyeol is safe. Chanyeol is different. Chanyeol knows who you are._

By the time Chanyeol had reached Minseok’s hips, the older man had practically melted into a puddle on the couch. He had long since put down his mug, content to just lay still and let Chanyeol work out the strain in his muscles. Chanyeol moved his hands up to Minseok’s tummy, then stilled.

“Wait, what the fuck?” Chanyeol peeled his shirt up and gaped at the chiseled muscles of Minseok’s stomach. “When do you find the time to get these?”

“Lu and I went on a fitness kick last year. He dropped off when he started dating Junmyeon, but I kept going.” Minseok said groggily.

“Does all of you look like this?”

“I guess?”

“That’s not fair.” Chanyeol shook his head, pulling himself over to cover Minseok’s body like a blanket. “Not fair to look this good.”

“I gotta keep up with Jongdae and Luhan some way.” Minseok petted his hand through Chanyeol’s hair; it was softer than it looked, cotton candy blue and pink strands sliding through his fingers like silk.

“You’re the best looking one that works there.” Chanyeol nuzzled his face into Minseok’s chest. “Besides Seulgi, I guess.”

“Are you bi or gay?”

Chanyeol propped his chin up on Minseok’s sternum to look at him. “I’m kind of a question mark. My friend that was getting harassed is technically my ex? Hani’s more into girls than guys, and we never slept together but we dated for a while. And then I’ve dated guys but I don’t know if I’m bi or if I’m just scared to be gay.”

“I’m kind of the same way. It’s a weird space to be.” Minseok pushed Chanyeol’s bangs off his face. “Maybe we can navigate the dark waters of sexuality together.”

“I think we can do that.” Chanyeol leaned up and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips.

\--

_kms: we’re having our first open mic night and I expect everyone to be here_

_kms: especially you ksoo_

_ksoo: you know how I feel about amateur musicians_

_iCYou: but I’m performing ksoo, how could you miss it?_

_ksoo: I’d miss it bc baek is peforming with you_

_Baekhyunnie: fuk off kyungsoo_

_Junmyeon the Wise: I’ll be there definitely!_

_XingXing: what night is it again? There might be a swim meet_

_Baekhyunnie: u r not missing me performing EVER_

_LuLuLemon: this is why Xing and I have a Mandarin only chat_

_Thunder Boy: except Min and I both read Mandarin_

_Thunder Boy: so we still get to creep on it_

_iCYou: SEULGI JUST WROTE HER NUMBER ON JOOHYUNS CUP_

_kms: WHAT_

_kms: I DIDN’T SEE THAT_

_Thunder Boy: that’s my girl_

_LuLuLemon: I see a smile_

_LuLuLemon: Seulgi’s totally in_

_LuLuLemon: this is literally the gayest café possible_

_kms: SHES WALKING OVER_

_Junmyeon the Wise: I’m honestly stressed_

_Baekhyunnie: get it seulgi_

_iCYou: JOOHYUN GAVE SEULGI HER NUMBER_

_iCYou: TOUCHDOWN DANCE_

_kms: well now we definitely have another person coming to open mic night_

_ksoo: I’ll come to open mic night just to see Seulgi and her new girl_

_ksoo: and Chanyeol I guess_

_kms: you have to come see my boyfriend it’s a rule of friendship_

_ksoo: as long as I don’t /see/ your boyfriend_

_ksoo: lu and myeon have scarred me enough_

_iCYou: trust me_

_iCYou: we don’t fuck at work_

_iCYou: too many chances for second degree burns_

_Baekhyunnie: that’s my boy_

_LuLuLemon: they’re kissing now_

_LuLuLemon: Junmyeon come over so we can be grosser_

_Thunder Boy: I just saw tongue_

_Thunder Boy: save us_

_Thunder Boy: actually they’re p cute_

_Thunder Boy: I vote them for couple of the year over Lumyeon_

_LuLuLemon: YOU TAKE THAT BACK_

_iCYou: there’s about to be a fight here_

_iCYou: Lu went into the back with the coffee utensils_

_kms: ksoo if you want a share in the eve now is the time_

_ksoo: ill take my chances but thanks_

_ksoo: one cute couple is enough for me to fit my daily disgusted quota_


End file.
